Karkala
Karla | |
|---|---|
Town | |
| Nickname: Jain pilgrimage center | |
Interactive map of Karla | |
| Coordinates: 13°12′00″N 74°58′59″E / 13.2°N 74.983°E | |
| Country | India |
| State | Karnataka |
| District | Udupi |
| Settled | 1912 |
| Area | |
• Total | 23.06 km2 (8.90 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 80 m (260 ft) |
| Population (2011) | |
• Total | 25,824 |
| • Density | 1,089.16/km2 (2,820.9/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| PIN | 574 104 |
| Telephone code | 91-(0)8258 |
| Vehicle registration | KA-20 |
| Official language | Kannada |
| Sex ratio | 1.11 ♂/♀ |
| Website | www |
Karkala (Kannada: [kɑːɾkəɭə]) (Tulu: [kɑːɾlə]) is a town and the headquarters of eponymous Karkala taluk in the Udupi district of Karnataka state in India. It is well known as an important center of Jainism, with several ancient basadis (Jain temples) and the iconic 42-foot monolithic statue of Bahubali (Gommateshwara) dating back to the 15th century. Karkala lies near the foothills of the Western Ghats, and has a number of natural and historical landmarks, and is a major tourist and transit destination due to its strategic location along the way to Hebri, Sringeri, Kalasa, Horanadu, Udupi, Kollur, Subrahmanya and Dharmasthala.